


Trust in Me

by PhoenixFalling



Category: Voltron (Netflix), Voltron - Fandom, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Bisexual, Fluff, M/M, biLance, gays, klance fluff, lance coming out
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 16:12:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16099178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixFalling/pseuds/PhoenixFalling
Summary: It has been nearly a year since Voltron defeated Sendak. Earth is still recovering as the Paladins of Voltron are out on missions across the world to defeat any rogue Galra left and to help bring everyone else together.Lance's connection with Red has been shattered, becoming more and more difficult as time goes by. Even basic missions are becoming harder as he has to fight for control. He has to decide whether or not he's fighting Red because he no longer wants to be a Paladin, or if he's fighting his feelings for someone.





	1. Severed

**Author's Note:**

> I am seriously struggling with this but I adore this ship so much. This intended to be a quick little fluff piece but that certainly did not happen. 
> 
> The chapters are broken up oddly because I didn't think about it while typing.

“See you soon Veronica.”  
Click

Lance tossed the phone on the small table next to his cot, running his right hand through his messy oak hair before falling back on the pillows with a groan. He just got back to his family but could hardly spend time with them as the paladins were constantly being shipped off for missions of public relations, refugees, rebuilding, or peace agreements with nations. There was so much to do, so little time. A slight smile touched his lips with the thought of seeing the team again, it had been far too long since all six were in the same room. 

His stomach was tight with emotion he struggled to tame it, although he had no more success now than he did since the confliction formed ages ago. Still, he managed to push emotions aside to deal with later. Lance focused on the idea of seeing both of his families again soon to pull him out of this funk.

The weight of the world were on his shoulders, but at least he was not alone. The other paladins shared his concern, exhaustion and general feelings of being overwhelmed, except Keith. The stubborn leader rarely talked about feelings, once again seeming to shut off from his friends. 

A brief vibration startled Lance, calming himself down when he realized it was just his phone. He grabbed it eagerly, eyes scanning the screen as he read a message.

 

[Lance: Have you heard from Keith? Is he okay?   
11:48pm  
Shiro: He’s fine.  
12:11am  
Lance: I really need his help with Red  
12:13am  
Shiro: What? Is Red okay?  
12:39am  
Lance: Something feels off, he is fighting me on every turn.   
12:40am  
Lance: Even with the little shows Hunk and I are doing… it’s like arm wrestling a bear  
12:45am  
Lance: He’ll know why  
1:00am  
Shiro: Go to sleep, we can take a look at Red tomorrow.   
2:56am ]

 

“Shiro, just as helpful as usual!” The red paladin groaned,”Come on Red…” Lance snuggled deeper in his blanket, desperately sending out another text out of impulse. He was desperate at this point, tired of having to argue with Red in every command.

[Lance: hey mullet how is London?  
May 13th  
Lance: how is Kosmo doing??  
May 15th  
Lance: how does axca like earth  
May 16th  
Lance: what kind of leader doesn’t respond to his teammate  
Today, 2:58am ]

 

No matter, he knew Keith would not answer. He never did. Lance gently threw his phone by his feet as an unwelcoming surge of annoyance flooded heart. The young Cuban man settled down in attempt to sleep until he and Hunk would depart for the Garrison headquarters at dawn. 

Lance tossed and turned, struggling against incoherent flashing of images that were so muddled he could not even follow what was happening in the hazy dreamscape. 

“Lance,” A deep, kindly voice spoke from the far end of his tent,”We are about to head out.”

“Huh?” The tan boy leaped out of bed with his heart in his throat,”Oh, uh, yeah coming!”   
It had been apparent that Lance was drowsy as he stumbled, falling to the desert floor on multiple occasions as he scrambled together the rest of his belongings. Most of his stuff remained in Red, no use in setting up roots if he kept moving from embassy to embassy.

“I can’t wait to see Pidge again, I wonder if she ever finished her universel communication system?” Hunk chatted excitedly as they walked through the Australian embassy that was slowly being rebuilt. Lance nodded along, mumbling along in agreement despite that how lost in thought he was.

I can’t wait to see them all. Faces of his friends pulsed through his memory, flinching at the face of a dashing young man with challenging steel grayish blue eyes that haunted him since he became Red’s paladin all that time ago. 

“Hey, you’ll figure out what’s wrong with you and Reds’ connection. Maybe Pidge can run a diagnosis, or maybe it’s just that you’re homesick,” Hunk teased gently, jabbing him in the ribcage harder than he intended too. 

“Maybe,” Lance laughed loudly in a failed attempt to cheer himself up. 

“I wonder what Keith would say if I brought Shay along…” The bulky man was grinning ear to ear as he thought of having his girlfriend alongside him, copiloting the Yellow Lion.

“You know him, the fun police,” Lance reminded Hunk,”I don’t see any issue with Shay tagging along, especially when we have to go to other planets but he always finds the downside.”

The Red and Yellow Paladins went silent for a moment at the mention of having to leave earth again in the near future. The only people that were looking forwards to leaving were Keith and Allura as they were both getting anxious to get out and help the rest of the universe.   
Hunk resumed chatting about some technology nonsense as they continued walking through the bustling camp, occasionally saying a kind goodbye to whomever approached. Several minutes later, the paladins arrived at the camp entrance where a small crowd gathered at the feet of two impossibly tall mech lions. 

Cheering erupted as Lance and Hunk pushed through the crowd, nervously waving. Standing several feet away from the crowd were twelve men and women dressed in military uniforms. 

A young olive skinned women with crystal blue eyes stepped out of line to greet the Paladins, right hand extended in greeting,”It is an honor to meet you, Lance and Hunk of Voltron. As requested, we have gathered our best soldiers for the Garrison S.P.A.C.E. initiative.” 

“Thank you Lieutenant Kara,” Hunk said as he gently shook her hand,”And to all of you soldiers from the Australian Armada, we are eager to work with you.”

Lance turned to the growing crowd of refugees and projected his voice loud enough for everyone to hear him,“I am glad we are leaving you in a state of repair, please know that the Paladins and the Garrison are at your service if ever you need us, do not hesitate to call.”

Four giant eyes illuminated from behind the Paladins as the lions roared into action. Two heads, each painted in their respective colors of bloodred and a bright sunny yellow, lowered to allow their paladins and guests to enter.

“All aboard the Red Lion!” Lance lowered his hand to welcome the lieutenants on to his fancy lion ship. Five of the soldiers, including Lieutenant Kara, eagerly climbed aboard the slender ship. 

The remaining Armada excitedly entered the jaws of the Yellow Lion, closely followed by Hunk. He waited until the lion lifted its head high into the air before Lance boarded the Red Lion after waving a final goodbye.

His hand lightly dragged against the inside of Reds inner jaw as he entered the ship, giving an affectionate pat before turning to the group of soldiers that stared at him, eagerly waiting for instructions. 

“You are welcome to explore Red, although there isn’t much to see. Make friends with the people around you because they will be your new family,” Lance advised distractedly as he made his way to the control room. 

“Excuse me, Mr. McCain,” A surprisingly strong hand grabbed his wrist. He glanced over his shoulder to see Kara holding him back. “I just wanted to thank you personally for helping me get into the S.P.A.C.E program.”

“I knew a guy with a hard past, he showed me that it doesn’t have to determine your future,” Lance simply said before slipping out of her grip. He felt her gaze burn into his back as he ignored her and continued to walk up the ramp.

Kara reminded him of Keith in the way that she was skilled in close combat, exceedingly stubborn and headstrong. She challenged every word her commanding officers spoke, however, her kindness rivaled that of Hunk. She earned her place in the SPACE program and just needed to prove herself.

Lance sealed the door behind him as he entered the Red Lion’s control room.  
‘I need some peace and quiet,’ he thought to himself as he plopped down in the steel scarlet chair,’I have a lot of time to figure things out,   
before I get there.’ 

His eyes closed partially as he focused on his connection with Red, snagging the thread of consciousness that he recognized as his lion.   
Engines roared online as the giant oversized cat mech lifted into air,”We’re going home.” 

Red kicked into gear and soared into the sky, following close to Yellow. The lions stayed lower, right under cloud cover to stay in view of the people below. Exposure to the lions helped moral, especially to the people that were hurt the most during Sendak’s attack on earth.  
Lance shifted his position in the chair to be more comfortable, resting his head between his hands. He knew if he broke focus, Red would act up and probably fly off into the sun. Probably.

His mind wandered back to just a few days ago when Hunk and Lance were battling the final rogue fleet of Galra soldiers that were terrorizing small towns. 

 

===  
They were not particularly strong, but it was their strange weapons that caused in issue. The weird guns shot small bullets that exploded bright blue flames on contact, causing fire if hitting something flammable. Villages that had been targeted were nearly starving and on the verge of collapse.  
“Hunk! Get the rest of the civilians out of here, I can handle the Galra!” Lance called over comms as he steered Red to a nearby cliff with the intention of causing a rockslide to consume the rest of the Galra rogues. Out of the corner of his vision he could see the bulky Yellow lion land several yards away where a crowd of people had formed to watch. Just as he set sights for the cliff, randomly consumed by a drowning sense of desperation and hopelessness. Red snapped free, deciding that it was better to handle this situation literally head on.  
Lance was helpless as his lion attacked the Galra head on, completely ignoring the bullets that pelted off of its hard metal body. Merely feet away, Red whipped around, causing Lance to desperately grasp his chair to avoid being slung around the cockpit. The lion’s impenetrable tail slammed into the rogues, knocking them down like bowling pins. The Galra group were defeated, now laying in an unconscious pile of purple bodies.  
“I guess that works too…” Lance muttered as he managed to grasp just enough control to steer back towards the village. He tried opening up his mind tentatively to try and grasp the severed string that was their bond. The paladin felt a stabbing sensation on his left rib cage, body entirely sore as if he tried to fight a bison and lost.  
“Gah!” He gasped, closing off his mind again and grabbed the shift gear, manually kicking Red back into gear, following Yellow through the desert.  
“Lance! You okay?” He could hardly hear Hunk over the throbbing in his head.  
“Yeah…” The Red paladin gasped quietly as the pain subsided,”Keep going, I’m right behind you.”   
===


	2. SyncedL

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance confides in Shiro about his romantic feelings towards Keith

“Let’s try this again Red,” Lance spoke partially to himself as he took a deep, staggered breath. He let go of every worry, every emotion, surrendering himself to the lions consciousness.

The world went utterly black as Red took over, astonished by the alarming sense amusement radiating from the lion that was quickly followed by a burst of hope and such joy he could only recognize as love. Imagines flashed, instead seeing out of Red’s eyes as he stood far above two young men arguing. 

-

“Just make a decision already!” He recognized the taller one by his signature mullet yelled angrily.

“It’s not that easy, you don’t know what it's like to have to willingly leave your family knowing that you may never come back!” This voice Lance knew as his own despite sounding disoriented and flinched as he recalled the conversation he and Keith had last time they saw each other. Instead of remembering it his way, he continued to observe from Red’s point of view.

“We all have make sacrifices,” Keith said, suddenly quiet as he turned away from Lance who just let out an annoyed groaned.

“Whatever mullet, I’m going to spend my last moments with my family before I don’t see them for several months!” Lance stormed off to Paladins quarters.

Wordlessly, Keith walked ever to Red, his eyes storming with anger and anguish. The former Red Paladin placed his hand on the nose of the lion,”Take care of him Red. He needs to find himself still, be patient with him, okay?” His face was contorted, twisted with a hint of misery, vain, and agony. 

\--

There was an unnerving softness in his tone that engulfed Lance in a flame of guilt, stirring something he had suppressed long ago. Light started to filter through his eyelids shaking his head to clear up the rest of the vision

“I’m fighting you, but myself,” Lance murmured, finding an incredible weight being lifted off his shoulders by his newfound revelation. Everything just clicked together, his connection with Red just slipped into place. There was no desperate grasp for any sort of connection just to do a simple maneuver, but a natural extension of himself. 

“Ever since I became the Red Paladin, I felt at home with Voltron, and it wasn’t because of Allura, it is because of Keith,” he said out loud, saying it made his feelings feel real. 

Giant buildings sprouted up over the horizon, nervousness stinging his gut. Lance cleared his throat, pressed down a glowing yellow button and leaned into the small black mic,”Passengers of the Red Lion Express, we will be touching down at the Garrison Alpha Base in 10 minutes. Descending in 3...2...1!” 

Without even asking, the Red lion jolted into action and dipped towards the ground at increased speed. A bright grin covered the Cuban boy’s face as the fell into sync with Red as he eagerly raced down to the base. 

“Glad to see you god Red back under control!” Hunk laughed as Yellow followed closely, both Paladins eager to get back to see their friends again. 

“Red has a mind of his own,” Lance called back breathlessly.

Ten minutes turned to one as Lance got a little carried away with showing off. Worry wormed in gut as he saw the other two lions perched next to the Atlas hanger. Red dropped slowly, landing to next to the Black Lion that loomed above the outstretched buildings below.  
Lance leaped out of his seat before all four paws touched ground, ignoring the confused glances and mutterings from the Armada lieutenants. There was a massive concern now that Lance had accepted his feelings for Keith and that was where to go next. The only person possible to help was Shiro who was still battling grief after losing his fiance in the initial Galra attack. 

It took longer than expected to run up the ramp, leaving Lance momentarily winded as he shuffled through the doorway. He absently waved to the Garrison soldiers as he made his way to a strategy room that one of the soldiers suggested. 

Without knocking, Lance threw open the door to see Shiro leaning against a table, deep in conversation with Matthew Holt, pointing at a blueprint of something that he could not distinguish. 

“Hey Lance,” Matt looked up from the blueprint,”Good to see you.” 

“It’s been awhile, good to see you too,” The lanky Cuban ran his hand through his messy oak hair as he tried to remain calm.

Shiro turned to him, confusion apparent in his tone,”I thought we were meeting everyone at 12?” 

Lance shuffled his feet uncomfortably,”Uh… Yeah, I just need to talk to you about something.”

“I can see I’m not needed here,” Matt laughed awkwardly,”I’ll see you both for lunch.” The young Garrison Tech Specialist scribbled down something quickly on the blueprint sheet before leaving.

“Lance, as you okay?” Shiro asked with an eyebrow raised curiously.

“I’m a Paladin of Voltron, aided in ending a 10,000 year war, and one of the most famous people in the universe, why wouldn’t I be okay?” Lance laughed nervously as he kept his eyes staring blankly at the ground.

“You are using your humor to hide your emotions again Lance,” he replied stoically, placing a hand on Lance’s shoulder.

“How do you know it’s not just a faze? That it’s just not a feeling of rivalry but of attraction?” Lance blurted out louder than he intended to,”How do you know if you love someone in a romantic sorta way?”

“You’re talking about Allura,” Shiro asked, needing confirmation to Lance’s obscure question,”I’m not sure that I’m your best source for relationship issues.”

“Not Allura, but Keith.” His voice faltered sharpy, hardly even audible. His heart thundered against his ribcage, breathlessly waiting for a response. 

A gentle smile touched Shiro’s lips,”It’s caring so much you leave to avoid hurting him. It’s knowing that you want to wake up next to him every morning, that you want to spend every waking moment with him, to never want him to leave.” He was briefly distracted with what Lance figured were fond memories.

“Shiro…” Lance murmured, guilt ticked at his core,”What do I do? What am I?” He could feel the familiar burn that threatened tears as he shifted his gaze to meet Shiro’s.

“You are the Red Paladin of Voltron, you are Lance. The Sharpshooter, the lovable goofball that uses humor to defuse tense situations, you are what you say you are. Labels are not for everyone, but are a way to identify yourself. It’s not for me to say, Lance, you just have to be honest with yourself.”

“So you’re saying that after all this time, all we have been through, it wasn’t Allura that I liked, but Keith?” Lance asked Shiro, as well as himself internally.

“I think a part of you didn’t know what these feelings were so you assumed it was rivalry and subconsciously took out your flirting on Allura since you didn’t know how to handle romantic interactions to a guy,” Shiro removed his hand from Lance’s shoulder to subconsciously rub his floating metal arm,”Or maybe the rej-”

Deafening silence crashed over his ears as the Red Paladin fell to his knees, his vision turning dark. Scattered images of a vaguely familiar cavern raced through his mind. He could see Shiro bent over him yelling something but Lance couldn’t hear anything except a furious lion roar. Red was trying to tell him something urgent, but he could not tell what it was.

“Lance!” Shiro’s worried cries finally were heard as he grabbed the outstretched robo-arm that was offered. 

“Something’s wrong,” he said gravely,”Where is Keith?”

“He went out with Axca earlier today I think,” Lance was already running out the door by the time Shiro finished the sentence. The former Voltron paladin started to call him back but made no attempt to follow. Running blind was not entirely smart for the clumsy Cuban, but the terror coursing throughout his limbs kept him sprinting out of the Atlas as fast as possible.


	3. We are One

Right outside of the door was an onyx nose that Lance almost ran right into. Hovering in front of him was the Red Lion, jaws already opened for its Paladin to jump in. 

The second his body made it through the doorway, thick doors slammed behind him as Red ascended. Lance scrambled to the control room, feeling the floor slip out from under him as the lion ship jerked forward abruptly at the sound of the engines increasing drastically. 

He worriedly scanned the rushing landscape below for any sign of Keith. The giant lion mech dipped sharply to the ground, heading straight towards a cliff,”Woah! We can’t just go in to the side of a cliff!” Lance desperately yanked at the break, but it only sent the lion into a spiral. 

Red spun through an impossibly dark hole that was hiding under a larger jut of stone. The red mech ship gripped the surrounding cavern wall, propelling itself even faster through the tunnel. Within moments a dark opening caused Lance forced his eyes shut and braced for impact. Sharp pain resumed at his left rib cage only significantly more painful than before, his head now pounding harder every heartbeat.  
Engines toned down as Red slowed gradually, landing with a soft thud. ”I am never leaving you in charge of driving again, ever,” Lance groaned. The cave was partially lit by Red’s sunny yellow gaze, skimming over the rummage of a crashed Garrison ship. The ship dented beyond repair, although the engine compartment seemed somewhat intact. 

His hand wandered over to a simple black knob and turned it all the way up. Bright light radiated from the Red Lion’s eyes, illuminating most of the underground dwelling.

Lance winced as his eyes adjusted to the sudden light. There were obvious scars from a recent battle as large chunks of rocks were scattered loosely about the cavern. His eyes landed on a single shape sprawled not far from the destroyed ship. With a sinking heart, he realized what it the battered shape was, the world went silent as Lance tore out of the Red Lion. His limbs were completely numb, his only source of emotion came from his fervently beating heart. 

He tried calling out, but he lacked the ability to summon any words as his mouth was dry. The Red Paladin sank to his knees, examining Keith’s body for the most life threatening wounds. Lance was on the verge of vomiting as struggling getting of his jacket. As gently as he could, Lance wrapped the clothing around Keith’s body, tightening as much as he could be securing it with a knot. His right eye socket was bloodied and swollen because of another knife inflicted scratch that started from his mid forehead, trailing down his neck.

“Krolia?” A weakened Keith whispered, eye blinking open slowly. His gaze focused on Lances’ extremely concerned face, causing the Black Paladin to abruptly push himself up in panic.

“Keith…” Lance murmured softly, wordless at the sight of weathering gray eyes against piercing yellow iris’. He pressed a hand against   
Keith’s chest to prevent him from getting up,”You’re going to make things worse.”

Keith didn’t have the strength to argue, sinking into Lance’s arms,”Axca-”

“Is this going to be one of those moments where I tell you I told you so?” Lance joked weakly as he gathered Keith’s legs with his right hand. He could feel himself shaking with fear of losing the Voltron leader, especially after how poorly their last interaction ended. 

“I can walk myself,” he did his best to shove Lance away from him, but his aggressive attempt fell short as the Red Paladin gathered Keith’s legs in one hand and his lower back with the other.

He remained silent as Lance struggled to his feed under the additional weight,”You can apologize once you stop bleeding.” 

Keith slung his arm around Lance’s lower waist to try and get a little bit of extra support, making Lance flinch visibly in response. One step at a time, the scrawny paladin refused to give up as he made his way back to where the massive red ship crouched,”I think you will be pleased to hear that Red caused me immense pain in trying to communicate that you were in trouble,” he tried to distract both men by joking. If Lance continued to talk, there was an almost guaranteed chance that he would be spilling more than either of them could handle at the moment.

“What? No,” Keith groaned, clenching his jaw tightly in result of the pain. 

Lance did not say anything else until after they boarded Red, gently laying Keith down against the bright red seat where the driving paladin would usually sit, limbs still burning from weight of his injured friend and of his secret. There was too much on the line for Lance to be spilling his secrets now as it was not the best idea. 

The lion roared into action as Lance plead silently to whatever god there was that they got back to the Garrison in time. 

“How did you find me?” Keith asked, his voice low and husky in poor attempt at mask his pain. 

“I was just talking to Shiro about, uh, something. I got this ominous pain and the next thing I know, Red is at the gates of Atlas waiting to take me to you,” Lance explained carefully.

“Good to hear you and Red have a strong connection,” Keith coughed into his free hand, revealing a couple of specks of blood. 

Red easily climbed out of the cave, booting up it’s flight system and effortlessly took off into the air. By now, the sun had reached its peak, giving an ominous shadow to anything of significance height below. 

“Communication request for the Garrison or Atlas; come in. This is Lance of the Red Lion, get a medical team prepared for immediate aid. Repeat, requesting medical assistance at the Red Lion dock immediately,” Lance tinkered with the comm connection, hoping that someone would hear his transmission. Worry rocked his soul as buildings started to come into view. 

“Hey Lance?” The unprecedented softness in Keith’s voice caused the Red paladin to glance over his shoulder.

“Thank you…” His eyes were now bright with a sense of clarity, standing out against the vivid sunset yellow that had become his iris. 

A wavered smile passed Lance’s lips as he met Keith’s eyes, forcing himself to look away as his reserve against confessing started to falter,”Yeah, whatever, mullet.”

“Atlas to Red Lion. Medical Aid is on route. Repeat. Medical Aid is on route,” a clear voice spoke, breaking up the awkward silence that was starting to simmer between the Black and Red paladins. 

“Perfect timing,” Lance said perhaps a little too happily, lowering Red down to its usual position next to the Black Lion. Standing at a safe distance was a rather large van with a red cross painted on the side that was drivin very fast towards them.

“Wait-” Nothing was stopping Keith from pulling himself up from the chair, fulling intending to walk out by himself. He staggered immediately, unable to put weight on his left leg and fell back into the seat.

“Let me help you,” He sighed, fighting the urge to smile at Keith’s annoying independence, reached out his right hand. Keith grabbed his hand and managed to get to his feet, only with heavily leaning against the scrawny Cuban. 

He sucked in his breath quickly, his body stiffening in response at their close proximity. Lance wrapped Keith’s left arm around his shoulder, sliding his own arm around his waist to help provide support. He started to notice a metallic taste filling his mouth as Lance realized that he had bitten his cheek hard enough to start bleeding. 

“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” the Black Paladin grumbled through his pain. 

Lance, for once in his life, had nothing to say as they shuffled down the ramp towards the oncoming ambulance. His heart thumped to the back as his throat as he held back a smile. 

The medical team drove the car over to meet them outside of the Red Lion, revealing two nurses and, surprisingly, Shiro. All three people helped Lance load Keith in the bed of the ambulance without asking bombarding him with questions. One of the nurses offered a seat to Lance who graciously accepted the offer and slid into the ambulance, taking a seat to the far right. Instinctively, the paladin reached over and took the pale white hand into his own, hoping it would provide some level of comfort. 

Keith’s head turned slightly to face Lance, a shock of electricity running through where there hands touched as blue eyes dark enough to be the deepest parts of the ocean met a cloudy sky gaze that belonged to the Red Paladin. His mouth twitched ever so slightly, resembling the start of smile that sent a tidal wave of desire flooding over Lance.


	4. Time Is Not On Our Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new threat is on the horizon as the Paladins must decide what their next move is.

“Is Keith going to be okay?”

“What happened to him?”

“How did you find Keith?”

Lance emerged from the Keith’s hospital room after the nurses had delivered him. The Cuban man refused to leave until he was comfortable, even so, he had to be guided out by Shiro. Pidge, Hunk, and Allura were sitting together in the waiting room. Shiro had called them while they were on the way to the hospital without giving them any information other than that Keith was injured.

“I don’t know what happened. Red kept trying to tell me something and lead me to him,” Lance hesitated for a moment to gather his thoughts,”I think Axca did this.” Anger filled every limb, tightening his fists to avoid punching the wall. 

“I thought she was on our side,” Hunk complained,”Why is it that almost every nice Galra we find ends up backstabbing us?”

“Hunk, that has happened maybe three times,” Pidge reminded him lightly,”Although I am curious why.”

“Why else? Haggar is still out there, we still don’t know what happened to Lotor,” Allura protested loudly,”The sooner we get back out to space the better. The remaining Galra need to know that Voltron is still here and ready to fight.”

“We aren’t doing anything without Keith,” Lance snapped,”He is in pretty rough shape. Who cares what or why they attacked him, he just needs to pull through.” The lack of concern for their leader’s well being angered the usually calm man.

“Lance, calm down. They didn’t mean to be insensitive, Keith is strong,” it was Shiro that spoke,”Take a deep breath. He will be fine.”

“Whatever,” he shoved his hands into his pants pockets and sulked off down a hallway to get a moment of peace. Light footsteps followed behind him and Lance whipped around, surprised to see that it was Allura that followed him.

“Are you okay?” She asked kindly, resting her arm on his bicep,”I know it’s hard seeing Keith hurt, but-”

“I know, he will ‘be fine’. But you didn’t see him like I did, you didn’t feel his pain like I did,” Lance seethed, pale blue eyes widening as he realized that he said too much,”I have never seen him so vulnerable.”

“Feel his pain? Wait, Lance, how exactly did you find Keith?” Allura questioned, visibly confused.

He started to ramble incoherently, giving just enough information for the former princess of Altea to understand what he was trying to get at. 

“So basically through your connect with Red, you were able to sense that Keith was in trouble? That’s remarkable!” Allura exclaimed excitedly,”Do you know what that means? That if our bonds are strong enough with our lions, we could tell if someone is seriously injured during a mission.”

“I don’t think it’s that simple. Keith has a pretty close bond with Shiro, as does Shiro with Black, what makes me so special?”

“That is a good point, Alfor never said anything about lions responding for other Paladins like this,” Allura had a puzzled look on her face, completely unsure of how this happened.

“Allura listen,” Lance was desperate to tell someone of his newly accepted feelings, even if it was the girl he had a massive crush on for awhile,”I think it has to be a mutual connection.”

“Maybe, since both you and Keith have a strong connection with Red he was able to warn you?” Allura was not exactly listening to what Lance was saying.

“Red was fighting me because I denied my attraction for Keith for the longest time,” he confessed, looking away from her burning gaze,”And I think it’s because he was calling for me.”

“Lance, what you did today was remarkable. You completely trust your lion, regardless of the pain that it was causing you. If you hadn’t opened up and truly became vulnerable, then Keith could have died,” Allura enveloped him in a tight hug,”I’m proud of you, Lance. Thank you for telling me.”

“Of course,” he smiled pathetically, resembling a lovesick puppy. 

\--

Hours felt like days as the Paladins sat in the uncomfortable hospital chairs telling stories of their missions. Pidge rambled on endlessly with Hunk about some transpace communication device she was working on with her father and Matt. Lance understood the general idea, a glorified video phone that ideally functioned regardless of distance, as long as there was a radio signal. Allura gushed about the the elite team of Garrison pilots that she worked closely with, evacuating and transporting people out of the most dangerous parts of the world. Hunk told of the dangers of the Australian Outback, as well as their skirmishes with the Galra rogues. 

Everyone listened eagerly to their stories, Pidge often asking questions whenever the chance presented itself. Shiro beamed with pride at hearing how well his teammates were doing working on a variety of missions without having the entire team to back them up. Lance started to doze off, sprawled out awkwardly over three of the cruddy chairs. The world slowly started to fade away as he surrendered to exhaustion. 

Gentle shaking awoke Lance with a start, sitting up abruptly. He winced at the sudden burst of bright light, blinking rapidly to adjust to a large looming figure that stood at his feet.

“Doc said that a couple people at a time could visit him,” Shiro said quietly, hardly even classifying as a whisper. His detached robot arm jabbed a thumb over his shoulder, drawing attention to the other Paladins who were all passed out. Pidge was curled up on the smallest couch, Hunk was sleeping peacefully on the floor, back leaning against the wall. Allura was sound asleep, her feet resting on the coffee table. 

Quietly, Lance stretched out his lanky limbs as his fuzzy brain started to clear up, recalling yesterday’s events. He glanced at the simple clock that hung on the wall, surprised that it was a little past 12am. 

With Shiro’s help, he got to his feet and held in a pained groan. His body was sore from the poor hospital chairs, wincing as he flexed his arms out. A nurse was ready and waiting by the door to the infirmary as Lance and Shiro made their way over to him. 

“Now I have to warn you… he’s out of it. The anesthesia is wearing off quick so he might be in pain,” the nurse said before pausing like he was going to say something else but thought better. He stopped at the end of the hallway in front of room number 809, and let them in without another word.

His chest tightened as he saw Keith laying in bed, eye fixated on the ceiling. The Black Paladin’s body was mostly covered with a thin blanket, although the right side of his face was bandaged.

Shiro let out a dry cough, alerting Keith that he had visitors. Keith sat up abruptly, visibly wincing as he adjusted himself. The   
blanket slid down to his lap, revealing a big wad of white bandages covering his left rib cage. 

“We need to talk about what happened,” Keith’s eye darkened and his entire demeanor went tense. 

Lance and Shiro exchanged a skeptical look but didn’t protest. Shiro took a seat on the sleek black couch by the window, leaving open the closest chair to the right of Keith’s bed. He sat down, his eyes wandering over to examine Keith's’ body. His skin was dusty and bruised in multiple places, but it was the troubled expression that really bothered Lance.

“Axca wanted to see where we found Blue, so I took her out there. As I was telling her about how I tracked Blue’s location, she attacked me. Started lamenting about Haggar and Lotor, something about my connection with the quintessence. She took some of my blood and left, hoping that a cold night in a cave would finish me off so that it would look like the ship crashed and I died   
because I couldn’t get back.”

“Why didn’t she just take you with her?” Shiro questioned,”It doesn’t make sense.”

“Maybe it was a test? To see how strong of a connection to our Lions are?” Keith suggested.

“She could have easily killed you,” Lance said, his voice growing louder as he grew angrier,”But she didn’t. I’m guessing they need you alive, you are the only Galra-human half blood ever. Axca needed to get away without you following, hence the cave in. She knew someone would find you.”

“Is this ever going to end?” Shiro sighed despondently,”Everytime we think we defeat the Galra, we get an even worse outcome. After Zarkon it was Lotor, then Sendak, now we have to face Haggar and Lotor?” 

“We have to put them down, for good,” The Red Paladin half heartedly punched the air.

“Violence hasn’t solved anything Lance, it’s just been an endless cycle of peace and war, peace and war,” Keith grumbled.

“We’ll get through it just like we always do,” Lance leaned closer to Keith, placing his hand over the railing,”Together.”

Keith smiled ever so slightly, forcing Lance to look away to hide the blush that was burning his tan cheeks even darker. 

“We need to discuss this now, rather than later,” Shiro stood up with a scowl scrawled across his face,”I’m getting the others, this can’t wait until morning.” He gave Lance a look that hinted he say something now or else he may not get a chance to be alone with Keith for awhile. 

“Have you decided?” Keith asked the second the hefty hospital door shut, leaving the two alone. 

“Oh, uh…” Lance wasn’t sure how to tell him that the only way he’d leave Keith’s side was if he was dead without it sounding like he was in love with him. He tried to tell himself that that was false, but how could he deny it? He loved everything about the   
stubborn man, right down to the scruffy mullet to his annoying tendency to push everyone else away.

“Because I need to know,” he said lightly, completely aware that family was a sore spot for Lance,”I mean, for the sake of the team. It will take time to find a suitable paladin for Red.” Keith hesitated for a moment before adding quietly,”And someone else that I can work with.”

“You aren’t the easiest person to get along with,” Lance teased,”How many times did you almost get us killed?”

“Lance, please,” Keith groaned as he adjusted himself so he could sit more comfortably and face Lance,”Voltron needs you. I need you.”

His heart froze, snatching all breath away as he immediately turned, eyes wide in shock. He opened his mouth to reply, but Keith cut him off,”I mean, we work well together, it’ll be hard to find a copilot that can keep up with me, even if you’re always a couple of miles behind,” he grinned just enough to set Lance’s heart fluttering. 

“Aw, thanks Keith, all these compliments are going to make me think you have a heart,” he joked as it was all he could do to stop what he really wanted to say from coming out. 

“I’m trying to be serious Lance. Last time we all switched lions it was chaos and we can’t afford that, not when we are going up against Haggar and Lotor. We can’t lose you,” Keith said, the desperation in his voice made Lance glance up at the Black Paladin. There were flecks of loneliness that drove him insane on the inside.

He could not take another second of this, it was complete torture. Keith, while a blind idiot, was a damn cute blind idiot. A cute idiot that made Lance heartsick for months on end, thinking he was just crazy and was just taking this rivalry thing too far. He leaned close to Keith, on the edge of doing the dumbest thing he’d ever do.

“Home is where the heart is,” Lance said with a goofy grin before pressing his lips against Keith’s. He fully expected to be pushed away, rejected as per usual. Instead, joy sprouted at his core when he felt mutual pressure and desire against his own. For just a brief second, his world was at peace. There was no world threatening Galra, just two guys that cared for each other.

“I can’t say that I’m surprised,” an amused Pidge commented from the doorway. 

Lance tore himself away as his skin burned with embarrassment, seeing that Keith too was equally as flushed. Both men looked away avoiding eye contact as the rest of the paladins entered in the room. Hunk and Allura gushed about how they were happy that Keith was alright, leaving Shiro and Pidge amusedly aware of the sexual tension that tinged the air. 

“Listen, I know it’s late and we’ve all had a long day, but this can not wait until morning,” Shiro leaned against wall facing the mismatched team, dipping his head to Keith.

“Long story short, Axca attacked me, Lotor is working with Haggar, and the universe needs us,” Keith summarized rather efficiently. 

“He’s alive?” Allura gasped,”That’s not possible.”

“We survived somehow,” Hunk pointed out,”Three years later, but still. I wonder how long Axca was playing us?”

“We can discuss semantics later, we need a plan,” Pidge sighed, pushing up the partially useless glasses up the bridge of her nose,”The Altean still has not healed so she will be no help. Romelle has told us all she knows but it isn’t much to go on. Haggar found a way to use the Alteans as a battery so we have to find a way to defeat those robobeasts without harming them. 

“And we can’t do that here. We have to leave earth, we cannot stop the Galra here. The sooner we leave the better,” Shiro said with the usual authoritative tone they all grew accustomed too long ago,”You will be joined by the Atlas and S.P.A.C.E. cadets of course.”

“Thank god, I highly doubt we’d survive with Keith in charge,” Lance smirked, risking a glance to see Keith turn away but not before noticing the faintest smile. 

“I think he has been doing a fine job,” Allura protested obliviously.

“We will leave two days. That will be just enough time to get all the supplies we need and for you to say goodbye to your families,” Shiro said after stifling a yawn,”We need to be on the same page though. It’s different this time, you have time to think and back out.”

Lance, Hunk, and Pidge all exchanged hesitant glances, but it was the Red Paladin who spoke up first,”I don’t know about you guys, but I’m doing this for my family. For every family, we can not let Haggar succeed.” He glanced around the roam, his gaze locking on to the pale pink scar that adorned Keith’s right cheek. 

“We still do not know where Axca is, she could still be on earth,” Hunk had taken to a more comfortable position on the floor before he continued speaking,”That means Keith is still endangered.”

Dread pricked at his heart like needles as Lance was well aware that he was no match for Axca. He rubbed his forehead anxiously as he began to worry extensively for Keith’s safety.

“The only logical way about going about this is to make sure that Keith is never alone. Every mission he should be accompanied by Kosmo and another paladin or a couple of S.P.A.C.E. cadets,” Pidge slid a mischievous glance at Lance as she added,”I personally vote for our resident sharpshooter to guard him.”

“I do not need to be babysat!” Keith protested avidly,”I can protect myself!”

“I agree with Pidge, we can all take turns,” Shiro completely ignored the groan that originated from the fuming paladin,”Sorry Keith, your lone wolf days are over.”

Lance glanced at Keith expecting a full on argument, but instead, the half Galra-human slouched dejectedly. Keith did not stand a chance arguing his safety with the people that cared for him the most. 

A knock at the door disrupted the extremely important conversation that the defenders of the universe were still having at just past 4:30 in the morning. The nurse needed no permission, the knock was merely a warning as the door opened seconds later, revealing the same man that led them to the room hours before. 

“I still have protocols that I have to follow, you aren’t the acception. My apologies, Commander Shirogane, but rules are rules. I will allow, however, one to stay,” he tapped his foot impatiently, clearing having better things to do. 

Pidge was already out the door, followed closely by Hunk who was stifling a yawn. Allura gave Keith a reassuring nod, leaving it down to just Shiro and Lance. 

“I suppose I should get some rest too, there is a lot to do and not enough time to do it,” much to Keith’s dismay, Shiro leaned over and gave him a quick hug before following the nurse out of the hospital room. He gave Lance an approved glance over the shoulder that reignited the blush on both of the young paladins faces.

The door shut quietly behind them, leaving the room eerily quiet with an awkward thread hanging between them.

“So, about what happened?” Keith spoke up. 

Lance stood up from the steel chair and stretched out his arms above his head. He had been so focused on keep straight and calm   
around the other Paladins to realize how sore he became,”Yeah, about that…” His gaze flickered over to Keith.

The young man was unwrapping the bandage around his head, deciding himself that he was ready to leave the hospital.

“I don’t know if you want to do that,” he warned, grabbing his wrist gently,”Keith.” 

“I have to know,” his voice was pleading.

Lance reluctantly let go, biting his lip nervously as Keith removed the last of the bandages. He was expecting to see a gaping hole where an eyelid should be but was greeted to an unusual bright blue iris. There was something unsettling and unnatural about how it moved, but it was an improvement over no eye at all. 

“I don’t know, I like the Galra eye better,” he replied lightly, unsure of how Keith would feel about his left eye revealing his heritage. People of earth are known to be cruel and judgemental, especially considering how much death and destruction from the invasion.

“Oh,” Keith looked away from Lance as his face grew red.

“Hey, I like you regardless of your mismatched eyes and scars. It makes you, you, dummy,” Lance placed a tan hand over his pale hand that curved into a fist but did not yank away.

“They won’t though,” his voice was tight as if fighting back tears.

“Who cares what they think? You have earned your place as leader of Voltron, who better to mend the relationship with the entire world then someone who has lost everything because of them?”

Keith smiled feebly, meeting Lance’s eyes with a defeated expression,”No, I have everything I need in spite of the Galra. I   
wouldn’t have you guys.”

“Well that’s the silver lining I suppose,” Lance shrugged, noticing how he had left out the pain and suffering of growing up without a mother.

“I am not too happy about having to be babysat 24/7,” Keith grumbled.

“I happen to be a fantastic babysitter,” the Red Paladin leaned in a little closer with a flirtatious grin slapped on his lips.

“Oh?” The Black Paladin’s grin widened just a little more,”Than I don’t suppose it will be that bad.” He leaned back against the soft pillows, wincing as he adjusted himself to be more comfortable. 

“I should let you sleep,” a pang of sorrow lightly touched his heart, seeing the man he cared in pain. Lance started to make his way back away from him, however, fingers tightened around his wrist as Keith held him back.

Keith gently tugged the Cuban man over to the bedside,”I don’t want to be alone.” 

“You don’t have to be alone anymore,” Lance murmured, tracing his left index finger against the pale pink scar that stood out against the pearl white skin before affectionately kissing his forehead.


End file.
